B-52 Brewing is open for business in Conroe

B-52 Brewing Co. in Conroe is open for business on six wooded acres off Texas 105.

Kegs of the beer are being delivered to a small but growing number of places, mostly in the Conroe-Woodlands area for now. That includes The Red Brick Tavern in Conroe and Texas Beer Garden in Magnolia, although the Flying Saucer in downtown Houston should be getting some of the Payload pilsner on Thursday.

But the best way to enjoy B-52 right now is at the brewery itself. Last Saturday, we loaded the dog and made the drive north, then spent a couple of very pleasant hours enjoying the shade and the company while sampling the pilsner, wheat IPA and rye saison. There were people playing ping-pong and beanbag toss games, and others playing with their dogs and/or children. There was an acoustic band playing and the owners say food trucks will be participating in the future.

B-52 looks much like a traditional shipping brewery. But because the owners switched to a brewpub license to take advantage of last year’s overhaul of Texas beer laws — specifically, the new law that allows brewpubs to distribute packaged beer to outside retailers — we were able to grab a half-growler to go that we shared with friends at a party that night. As of now, shipping breweries still are prohibited from filling growlers or selling any beer to be consumed off-premises.

I’ll have more on this family-run brewery in next Wednesday’s Flavor section. You can read the story now on HoustonChronicle.com.

In the meantime, scroll through the photo gallery above to get a feel for the place.

Here’s the information you’ll need if you want to visit:

What: Tour and tasting at B-52 Brewing, a new craft brewery.

Where: 12470 Milroy Lane, Conroe.

When: Saturdays, noon to 4 p.m.

Cost: $12 gets you a souvenir pint glass and three fills from the covered outdoor bar area; $8 gets you a smaller glass and three pours.

Also available: Growlers with the B-52 logo are $18, filled with 64 ounces of the Payload pilsner or Wingman wheat IPA. Half-growlers are $10. Refills are $12 and $7, respectively. The growlers are taped and must not be consumed on site.